Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this meeting. I am not a member of this committee, but non-members can attend and contribute as well and I wish to acknowledge that. I thank Mr. Peter Bunting and Mr. Conal McFeeley for the work that they have been doing in trying to bring some reason and sense to the regime at Maghaberry. As mentioned earlier, Deputy O'Sullivan, Deputy Ó Cuív, a couple of other members and I have been visiting the prison. Unfortunately, I have not visited as often as the rest of them, but we have visited. We met the prisoners in Roe House. We met Unionist and loyalist prisoners as well in Bush House. One of the things that I remarked on when we were there was that there is a lot more freedom of movement in Bush House than in Roe House, even though they are both under the same regime. All one has to do is spend ten minutes looking at the landings there and one will see that Bush House is a lot freer. One of the most frustrating things is that we have had the privilege, if it can be called that, of meeting the management after our meetings there. To borrow a phrase from a former Deputy, talking to them was like playing handball against a haystack. It is clear to me that that is where the problems and blockages are in trying to resolve the situation.

I have a couple of questions. Mr. Bunting mentioned earlier a woman he knows who has received some sectarian abuse from colleagues on the prison staff. We have heard anecdotally that there are problems with the retention of Catholic staff recruited into the prison service. Is Mr. Bunting aware of that himself? Arising from that, is there a need for a Patten commission-style report for prison service staff? Would that go some way to changing the atmosphere?

I wish to ask about the role of the NIO in Roe House. We know the role it has in keeping prisoners in the segregated prisons and in the care and supervision units. Does the NIO have a role in Roe House itself? Does it have a day-to-day role there that might be encouraging the continuation of strip searching and the regime there that is leading to the problems?

The witness met the Northern Minister of Justice in June. Have there been any follow-up meetings or has it just been a blank ever since? Some of us may be meeting her in the next few weeks. We might raise those issues with her too.